A news helicopter crashed and burst into flames in a Los Angeles neighborhood on Tuesday evening, killing at least three people while its crew was covering a separate bus accident nearby, officials said.
The helicopter, identified as NewsChopper4 and operated by Angel City Air for NBC Los Angeles, went down just before 7 p.m. in the Chatsworth neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley.
Colleen Williams, an NBC4 Los Angeles anchor, confirmed the crash during a live broadcast. "We are going to take a couple of minutes to think about that, process it," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. Moments later, the station's coverage abruptly cut off.
The helicopter came down near a storage building in Chatsworth. At least one person killed was outside in a parking lot next to the commercial building, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Branden Silverman. It was unclear whether the other two victims were on the ground or inside the aircraft.
One additional person was taken to hospital. Their condition was not immediately known.
Silverman described the helicopter as "pretty well destroyed" and said officials would be sorting through the rubble to determine how many victims were on board. "We're trying to determine how many patients were inside the helicopter," he said.
At least four cars and two storage containers caught fire after the helicopter went down. The blaze was quickly extinguished. More than 50 firefighters responded to the scene, according to the fire department.
The helicopter crash occurred approximately a mile and a half from the site of an earlier accident. About two hours before the helicopter went down, an SUV collided with a city bus, killing at least two people and injuring six others. Photos and videos circulating online showed half of the SUV lodged into the side of an MTA bus.
Several news helicopters had been covering the bus crash when NewsChopper4 went down, according to reports.
California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked emergency crews responding to both incidents. In a post on X, he said "our hearts are with the victims and families."
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration announced they will investigate the cause of the helicopter crash. An investigator was expected to be sent to the scene on Wednesday.
